Hanger for electric lamps.



Pa tented Feb. 6, I900. w. F. MURPHY.

HANGER FOB ELECTRIC LAMPS.

( Application filed my 15, 1899.)

No Model.)

g dill no: Noam: PEYERS co. PHOYO-UYNO. WASHINGTON, o. c.

. tem in the usual manner.

-NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM FVMIIRPHY, OF IOIVA CITY, IOWA.

HANGER FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS.

SPECIFIGATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,623, dated February6, 1900. Application filed May 15, 1899. Serial No. 716,940. (No model.)

devicesi and it has for its prime object to increase the elficienoy ofsuch devices, while simplifying the construction and conse-* quentlyobviating the liability of the parts getting out of order, the partsbeing so constructed andarranged that the drum around,

which the lamp-suspending cable is wound incloses and conceals from viewthe counterbalancing mechanism.

Theinvention and its many advantages will appear from'the followingdescription and claims when taken in connection wit the annexeddrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional viewof my improved device with parts broken. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectionalview through the ratchet with the other parts of one endof the device inelevation. of the opposite end of the device, and Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the counterbalancin g mechanism with parts insection.

Referring by letter to said drawings, A and B indicate two brackets,which are here shown as secured to a ceiling and are designed to supporta rotatable drum and its actuating mechanism. These brackets areconnected with the main wiresv of an electric system, as shown at a, orwith branch wires of such sys- The bracket A is provided at the lowerend of its depending branch with a transverse slot 12, while the bracketBis provided at a corresponding point with a circular hole or aperture 0to respectively receive the ends of rods which extend from the coresurrounded by a coil or spiral spring, as will be presently described.The core for the spring is composed of two sections (1 and e of wood..The section (1 has secured to it the rod f, which terminates at itsouter end in a fiat portion 9 to fit the slot 1) of the bracket A and beprevented from-turning therein. The rod h has its outer end round, so asto turn freely in the bearing-aperture c Fig. 3 is a similar view of thebracket B. This rod passes through the section e of the core for thespring and extends into a socket 'i, which is arranged in thecore-section d. The core-section d may be fixed to the shaft or rod f byany suitable means, in the present illustration a cap j being employedfor the purpose, so that said core-section (1 will beheld stationary onthe rod f, while the section e'may be left free.

0 indicates a coiled spring which is shown of flat steel, although othermakes might be employed. This spring encircles the core, which, asbefore stated, is formed in sections and has one end secured to thefixed or immovable core-section, as shown at is, while the to confinemyself to this manner of making the connection. By the constructiondescribed it will be seen that when the rod h has been turned in onedirection it will coil and contract the spring upon the core and whenturned in the opposite direction will allow the spring to expand orweaken.

D indicates a drum the tube of which may be composed of fibrous board orother suitable material and is designed to have Wound upon it the cableE, from which the lamp or other electricaldevice is suspended. I provideeach end of this drum with cheek plates or disks F. These plates may becomposed of light sheet metal or other suitable material and may havetheir outer edges bent laterally, as shown, while short branches q maybe turned inwardly and pierced to receive screws 4", whereby the samegnay be secured to the cylinder of the drum, one set of screws beingused to also serve in connecting the cables E, as better shown in Fig. lof the drawings. Fixed to or formed on the outer side of the right-handdisk is a pinion G, which meshes with a vertically-disposed gear-wheelH, which gear-wheel has a laterallydisposed pinion I formed at its hub,and this gear, and consequently the pinion, has a bearing on a rod J,which extends inwardly from the bracket B. The pinion Iin turn mesheswith ICO lution around the core.

a vertically-disposed gear K, which is fixed to the shaft or rod h. Thisgear K is shown as fixed to the rod h by means of a pin 8 taking throughthe hub of the gear and through a hole in the shaft. Other means mightbe employed for fixing the gear to the shaft or rod.

The bracketA is provided at its inner lower end and around the slot 1)with a series of recesses, so as to form a ratchet L, a dog or pawl Mbeing pivoted to the outer side of the adjacent plate F to engage saidratchet and lock the drum at the desired point.

By the construetiondescribed it will be seen that the drum D will makeseveral complete revolutions on the sectional rod or shaft before thespring 0 has made one complete revo- It will also be seen that by reasonof the shaft being in two sections the parts may be held in properrelative positions and yet perfect freedom of action allowed to the drumand counterbalancing devices. 7

From the foregoing description the operation of my invention will beobvious. It will be seen that by drawing upon the cable E the dog orpawl will be first drawn out of the ratchet and then the cable may beunwound from the drum as the drum rotates in its bearings. The action ofdrawing the cable will, through the medium of the train of gearing,cause the shaft h to turn, which will in turn coil or contract thespring 0 upon the sectional core, so that when it is desirable to windthe cable E upon the drum it is simply necessary to draw upon the cableuntil again releasing the ratchet and then suddenly slacken pressurethereon, so as to allow the spring to act. By this means an incandescentlamp or other electrical device suspended from the cable may be raisedor lowered to any desired position and held therein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a hanger forelectrical devices, the combination of two brackets, a shaft or rodcomprising a section fixed in one bracket and a section journaled in theother bracket, a core-section mounted on the rotary section of the shaftor rod, a core-section fixed on the fixed section of the shaft or rodand havinga socket in its inner end receiving the other section of saidshaft, the spiral spring surrounding the core-sections and connected atone end to the rotary section of the shaft or rod and at its oppositeend to the fixed core-section, the drum, means for transmitting motionfrom the rotary shaft-section to the drum and vice versa, and means forlocking the drum, substantially as specified.

2. In a hanger for electrical'devices, the combination with twobrackets; of the sectional shaft or rod each section of which bears atone end in one of the brackets and one section being adapted to rotatewhile the other remains fixed, the cheek-plates, the drum,- thesectional core surrounding the sectional shaft or rod, the spiral springsecured at one end to one section of the shaft or rod and at itsopposite end to one core-section, a train of gearing connecting onesection of the rod with the drum, and a pawl and ratchet connecting thedrum with one of the brackets,- substantially as specified.

3. In a hanger for electrical devices, the rod or shaft comprising thesectionsf and h, the core-section d, and the core-section 6 carried bythe rods or shafts; in combination with the spring secured at one end tothe core section 01 and secured at its opposite end to the shaft or rod72., a drum inclosing the whole, and a suitable means, (as a pawl andratchet), for locking the drum against rotation, and a suspending-cableattached to the drum, sub: stantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM F. M URPIIY.

Witnesses:

M. A. NOVAK, W. H. BAILEY.

